[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 45 Introduced in House (IH)]
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. CON. RES. 45
Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the importance of organ,
tissue, bone marrow, and blood donation and supporting National Donor
Day.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 13, 2003
Mr. Miller of Florida (for himself and Mr. Davis of Illinois) submitted
the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the importance of organ,
tissue, bone marrow, and blood donation and supporting National Donor
Day.
Whereas more than 80,000 individuals await organ transplants at any given
moment;
Whereas another man, woman, or child is added to the national organ transplant
waiting list every 20 minutes;
Whereas an average of over 66 people receive a transplant every day for a total
of more than 24,000 each year;
Whereas despite the progress in recent decades, more than 17 people per day die
because of a shortage of donor organs;
Whereas up to 30,000 people each year are diagnosed with leukemia or other blood
diseases and approximately 20,000 will not find a marrow donor match
within their family and must rely upon strangers;
Whereas nearly 32,000 units of blood are used in the United States every day and
blood supply reserves are often low since only 5 percent of the
population donates blood regularly;
Whereas almost everyone is a potential organ, tissue, bone marrow, and blood
donor;
Whereas transplantation has become an element of mainstream medicine that
prolongs and enhances life;
Whereas for the sixth consecutive year, a coalition of health and other
organizations is joining forces for National Donor Day, including the
American Association of Blood Banks, the American Liver Foundation, the
American Society of Transplant Surgeons, America's Blood Centers, the
Association of Organ Procurement Organizations, the Children's Organ
Transplant Association, the Coalition on Donation, the Emergency Nurses
Association, the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation International, the
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of America, LifeSouth Community Blood
Centers, The Marrow Foundation, the National Kidney Foundation, the
National Marrow Donor Program, the National Minority Organ Tissue
Transplant Education Program, the Saturn Corporation, United Auto
Workers, and the United States Department of Health and Human Services;
Whereas the first five National Donor Days raised a total of nearly 37,000 units
of blood, added over 7,000 potential donors to the National Marrow Donor
Program Registry, and distributed tens of thousands of organ and tissue
pledge cards;
Whereas National Donor Day is America's largest annual one-day organ, tissue,
bone marrow, and blood donation event; and
Whereas the Department of Health and Human Services and a number of other
businesses, foundations, and health organizations have designated
February 14, 2003, as National Donor Day: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),
That the Congress--
(1) supports the goals and ideas of National Donor Day;
(2) encourages all Americans to learn about the importance
of organ, tissue, bone marrow, and blood donation and to
discuss such donation with their families and friends; and
(3) requests that the President issue a proclamation
calling on the people of the United States to conduct
appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs to demonstrate
support for organ, tissue, bone marrow, and blood donation.
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